A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device which has a bonus scheme including one or more symbol generators and one or more symbol terminating conditions.
Many existing gaming machines, such as traditional slot machines, include bonus rounds. Typically, a bonus round begins when the player reaches a bonus triggering event in the primary game of the gaming device. In slot machines with reels, the triggering event usually occurs when the player reaches a predetermined combination of symbols on the reels. Usually the bonus scheme provides the player with an opportunity to gain bonus value before the bonus round terminates.
In existing bonus schemes with symbol generators such as reels and wheels, the bonus round terminates after the player has had a predetermined number of opportunities to gain bonus value or after the player has accumulated a predetermined amount of bonus values. These bonus rounds do not terminate when the player reaches a predetermined combination of symbols.
To increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide players with new bonus schemes for gaming devices which include symbol generators and symbol terminating conditions.
The present invention overcomes the above shortcomings by providing a gaming device and method which has a bonus scheme which includes one or more symbol generators, a plurality of symbols and one or more terminating conditions. The symbol generator is a device, method or system which generates certain symbols as an outcome for a player. Preferably, the symbol generator is a computer program or mathematical formula, and the computer of the gaming device inputs certain symbols into the generator which then generates certain symbols as output. The term symbol, as used herein, includes any representation in audio, visual or audio-visual form whether in motion or at rest such as letters, numerals, characters and pictures, drawings or other representations of people, places or things.
The gaming device can graphically represent the symbol generator as any mechanism or any other system or device. For example, a symbol generator can be represented as a plurality of reels (in physical or video form) in a gaming device, a spinning wheel (in physical or video form) or a set of dice. The reels, spinning wheel and dice would include a plurality of symbols, such as a mixture of characters and numeric values.
The bonus scheme of the present invention also includes one or more terminating conditions which terminate the bonus round after the player has had an opportunity to gain at least one bonus value. The terminating condition occurs when the symbol generator generates two or more predetermined symbols. For example, a terminating condition could be a combination of letters, such as X, Y and Z, generated by the gaming device. Preferably, the terminating condition occurs at one or more predetermined result areas. The result area is a certain area where symbols must be located in order for a terminating condition to occur.
In the context of reels, the result area is two or more symbol areas, preferably defined by one or more lines extending from outer reel to outer reel. In the context of a spinning wheel, the result area is preferably two or more areas, preferably identified by result pointers.
In operation, the bonus round is initiated when a triggering event occurs. Once the bonus round is initiated, the gaming device (preferably randomly) generates a plurality of symbols, preferably by enabling the player to push a play button or other activator device. Depending upon which symbols are generated and the design of the bonus scheme, the player may gain a bonus value, gain no bonus value or the bonus round may terminate. If a terminating condition does not occur, the gaming device provides the player with any earned bonus value and then generates a second set of symbols by enabling the player to push the play button again. This process continues until a terminating condition occurs.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the symbol generator is a plurality of reels which display a plurality of symbols. In another preferred embodiment, the symbol generator is one or more spinning wheels. In either case, the symbol generator has the capacity to generate numeric and non-numeric symbols (i.e., the numeral five and a character). The terminating condition occurs when the symbol generator generates at least two non-numeric symbols in a specified result area. As long as the player avoids this terminating condition, the gaming device awards the player with bonus value equal to the sum of all numeric symbols displayed in the result area.
The present invention provides a gaming device with a bonus scheme which involves symbol generators and terminating conditions. Whether the generator is a plurality of reels or a spinning wheel, the player may continue to spin the reels or the spinning wheel with the aim of gaining bonus values, until the player reaches a terminating condition. The terminating condition occurs when the symbol generator generates two or more predetermined symbols which cause the bonus round to terminate.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gaming device with a bonus scheme which includes one or more symbol generators and one or more symbol terminating conditions.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.